Monday, September 21, 2009

Last Week Alone

This is Mrs. Bird's last full week and Mrs. Davis' last week of maternity leave. It is bitter sweet for the both of us!

Math: Students are doing a wonderful job learning algebra. They are all catching on so well and really seeing the joy in math. Mrs. Bird and Mrs. Davis have such a love for math to pass on to these students!

Writing: Students are working on writing their personal narratives. They have made sure their story has all the components it needs and everyone has begun their draft.

Social Studies: We have been through all of Ancient Mesopotamia. Last week we learned about the battles between the Assyrians and Babylonians. After many years of wars the Babylonians finally defeated the Assyrians once and for all. The brains out smarted the muscles.

Science: Students have been learning the reasons for seasons. We measured pictures of the sun and noticed that in the summer the sun appears to be smaller: the class concluded that this means the sun is actually further away in the summer. The difference in the distance is so small that it does not affect our seasons.

Reading: Students are wonderful at thinking about their thinking while reading. We have begun working on "Monitoring for Meaning." This means that the students know when something doesn't make sense in their reading and they use appropriate strategies to figure it out. We are starting our reading groups this week.

I was very impressed with President Obama's speech. He talked about how he has talked with teachers and parents about their responsibilities for educating the children but this speech was specifically on how it is the students' responsibility to be educated and learn at school. He talked about trying over and over again until you get it, Never giving up, and that what and how much you learn is ultimately up to you.

Thanks for all those who donated to our basket, and to Emily Flake for putting it together. It looked absolutely delicious!